Decorating

Bye bye, suburbs!

Swapping the suburbs for the city: why families love the 416

Former 905er Adrienne Lake, seen here in Bloor West Village, is happy to be back in the 416.

Photograph by: Brett Gundlock
, National Post

For decades, young Toronto couples got married then left the city for beds in 'burbs and beyond. Whitby, Oakville, Barrie and Newmarket with their tracts of enticingly affordable homes, were a powerful draw for people willing to trade a commute for three or four bedrooms and as many bathrooms. But that was then. These days, people are packing up the kids and pets and returning to Toronto.

Joan Costa of Chestnut Park Real Estate, has noticed the trend. "There are always exceptions but, it has been my experience that many families initially drawn to larger homes gravitate to the 905 area," she says. "As children come along, the desire to have schools of choice and established community services motivates many to return to the 416 area because of driving time, gas and lifestyle. In the end, it's clear that location is everything." Her client, Ms. Jackson, not her real name, chose a prime neighbourhood for just those reasons.

Ms. Jackson and her family left the Winston Churchill/ Eglinton area of Mississauga for Playter Estates at Broadview and Danforth. She chose a '50s-era property with a large lot close to the subway, her workplace and her daughter's private school. Her desire was to reduce her reliance on a car, so she is now delighted to have corner stores, a butcher and fruit stores in the neighbourhood.

She says, "I love being able to walk around after work to get ice cream or play in the park close to home to unwind with the kids, rather than be stuck in traffic somewhere, wondering what drivethrough we will end up in."

She also appreciates the culture and community activities available in her neighbourhood, or just a "hop on and off the subway," and has been to the opera, ballet, theatre and museums, as well as diverse eateries, including "very yummy French patisseries" in nearby Greektown. "It's now easy to expand the kids' food choices beyond fast food," she enthuses.

Ms. Jackson, like many others who choose to return to city life, was looking for a better life balance that did not include spending time "stuck in traffic" or on a train for two to three hours daily. But, as so often happens with moves, she exchanged one set of problems for another as her new property needed renovations. The first on the roster was an unsafe barn in the backyard that had turned into a "raccoon hotel." It was demolished. A basement overhaul, refinished hardwood floors and a garage and kitchen extension followed, and she is hoping her backyard landscaping project is completed this summer.

Some agents, like Wilfred Veinot of Sutton Partners Realty, report that about 20% of visitors to open houses are out-of-towners eager to move back to the city. He says the most common reasons for the influx are the rising price of gas and the long drive on congested roads, but not everyone cites those excuses first.

Adrienne Lake, a lifelong 905er, left a detached three-bedroom home with a large treed lot, a garden and a double-car garage in Oakville to move to an Etobicoke two-bedroom-plus-den condo with three baths. Although she misses her backyard and the wildlife that visited, she wanted to be close to Toronto for its restaurants, theatres, clubs, shopping and more. She moved in February and says, "I love the vibrancy of Toronto and it has been exciting to have new adventures in my neighbourhood. I don't miss the quietness of Oakville." She enjoys her proximity to Bloor West Village, The Kingsway, High Park and the city's bike trails, as well as her easy access to public transit. She also received a job offer in the heart of the city and is happy that she does not have to commute from Oakville.

Angelo Pucci, a sales representative with Sutton Group Heritage Realty in Whitby, says some clients are moving to save money. "Given the recent upsurge in gas prices, we have received calls from past clients who travel to the downtown core or west GTA and now feel that, in some cases, it would be cheaper to move closer to the city as opposed to paying large sums of money to fill their gas tanks."

When Rajvir and Monique Jhooti moved from a 940-sq.ft. North York condo to a one bedroom, one bathroom 630 sq.-ft. condominium at the Pinnacle Centre at Yonge and Harbour, it was because it made better financial sense and was a good lifestyle choice. "We are saving about $600 a month on transportation, condo fees and utilities," Ms. Jhooti says, They also gain a half-hour of sleep each morning and some exercise as they both walk to work, about 10 minutes away. And when they hit the clubs at night, they never have to worry about catching the last subway home as they are always within walking distance. For this couple, the benefits of downtown living outweigh the appeal of a quiet neighbourhood.

Although everyone enjoyed aspects of their previous lives, they all speak of their move as a very positive change. Each relishes their new neighbourhood and chose it carefully to be close to restaurants, cultural attractions and work or schools. The old axiom, location, location, location, makes sense whether you are moving to the 'burbs and beyond or responding the the allure of the 416. As Ms. Jackson says, "It's a matter of finding the right house in the right neighbourhood."

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